Ontario politicians, business leaders and union executives are set to descend on Washington, D.C., for president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, as part of a provincial pushback to the incoming administration’s looming trade war.
Premier Doug Ford has taken a highly visible role both in urging Trump to reconsider his approach and in pressing the federal government on its response. The province’s large presence is expected to complement that.
Heavy hitters from the auto sector, mining companies, the energy industry, big banks and Ontario politics will gather at the Canadian Embassy to take in the festivities amid Trump’s threat to lay a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods on his first day in office.
While it’s unclear how the tariffs would be implemented and if they will be sweeping or more targeted, they will certainly bring economic pain, said David Paterson, the Ontario government’s representative in Washington.
Ford has said Ontario …